On November 10 2005, we remember the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the 29 men who's lives were ultimatley cut short, we remember them through pictures and stories...and on this day 30 years ago, we remember. I have come hear to preach to you, on that day, November 10, give a moment of your time to remember the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and to all those who were lost in all maritime disasters. And that we keep the memories alive, so we may never lose sight of what mother nature can do, and never to forget what can happen, i bring to you the tale of the Edmund Fitzgeralds last voyage through the might lake Superior on this herald day, November 10 2005 On November 9 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, loaded with 23 000 tons of tactonite pellets, left fully loaded with her 29 man crew for White fish bay, at the other end of lake Superior. 729 feet in length, named after the chairmen of the board, the Edmund Fitzgerald was long herald as the pride of the American side, holding records in gross tonage and speed, the Big Fitz, was a symbol to the bustling industrial commuinity. now in 1975, after some 17 years of service, she was no longer the biggest, fastest, she was the Fitz,reliable, depenable. Her 29 man crew, not much older than us, were headed by Captain Ernest Mcsorley, a vetern serving over forty years at see, this was to be his last voyage of the season, to return to his bed-ridden wife. Already late in the season, The last scheduled voyage for the fitz. before winter layup and drydock come spring..it was routine voyage from point A to point B. A winter storm warining was already in effect, nothing out of the ordinary, but surely on the minds of the crew, the Big fitz made her way out of the harbour for the omnious Lake Superior. The weather worsened, sees of 20 feet began to crash over the bow of the mighty vessel, she ploughed through, forging her way to a safe harbour, followed by the 767 foot long Arthur M Anderson, some 50 miles behind. As night set, and day broke, the weather continuly worsened, a heavey snow set in...winds of a 100+ mph were reported, thus both radar on the Fitzgerald were overwhelmed, waves now rocked the vessel every which way, her bilge pumps overwhelmed, she took on a list, several hatch covers down, and fences gone, the mighty Fitz managed to give her all. By dinner time that night, November 10, things did not improve.....,heavy sees battered the already weakened Fitz, while relying on guidance from the Anderson, she continued foward, some 100 miles from safe water. through this the Fitz passed dangerously close to Six Phathom Shoul, or rather through it, depicted by the Andersons radar, it is here, where it is belived the Edmund Fitzgeralds fate was determined..... ...shortly afterwards, Bernie Cooper, captain of the Anderson, radiod the Fitzgerald, after some damage reports and map charting, the first mate of the anderson, asked McSorley how he was doing..... ...."We're holding our own"........ the final words ever to be heard from the Edmund Fitzgerald. soon after, the blip on the Andersons radar, siginfying the Fitzgerald disappeared, never to be seen again...all that was recovered was an oil slick and a lifeboat.... The Edmund Fitzgerald slipped beneath the waves in less time than it took you to read this sentence. Lying some 537 feet and perliously cold Superior water, 2 massive hulks, and a trail on iron ore pellets is all that is left of the once might Fitz They gave there lives.....one moment to remember November 10 1975 Ryan
Ryan: Did you have a relative on board ? Since I am veru stunned about all this... and don´t know what to say...
i didnt have a relative on board...its just special to me...i think not enough people know of this tradgedy..and i think the familes of the lost should rest a little easier to know that people care about this..that it will be in the hearts of people forever
Yeah, the Fitzgerald was a helluva shipwreck, alright. Most of my family on my mother's side lives in Wisconsin or on the Upper Peninsula, and I'm no stranger to the shipwreck stories - although if you think the Edmund Fitzgerald was the only one on those lakes, you've got another thing coming. If you have any sort of morbid fascination (like I do) with shipwreck stories and whathaveyou, the Great Lakes are the jackpot for that sort of thing. Although not as much today, cargo shipping used to contribute enormously to the local economies there, with the lakes and their connecting canals providing excellent shipping access from places along the Atlantic such as New York to the industrial centers of Detroit and other midwest cities. Gordon Lightfoot wrote a pretty good song about the incident entitled 'The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald' that's well worth tracking down if you've any interest in the story. Although I have to ask - were you perchance a month off? It's only October right now.
i can remember when i was 5, singing, and quite badly the lyrics to that fabled song in the school yard, i believe there was roughly 5000 shipwrecks spread across the great lakes, im trying to find a good site with alot of them listed, to no avail, theres something about ships, and their stories that fasinate me beyond belief, i remember the day i first heard of the fitz, they had a special on global tv(a canadian station) about the 1994 canadian/american expedition to recover the bell, the intro to it was haunting, mixed footage of the ship and shipwreck combined with the intro of the song.....and the day after, the songs stuck in my head, 11 years later, its still my most favorite piece of music..... as for shipwrecks and ships in general, i can say they've been a part of my life, every ship from the Titanic, to the olympic, bismarck, brittanic, lusitania, mauritania, aquatania, andrea doria, for awhile, i didnt really bother with them much, but i dont know whats happened.....ive found myself getting back into the swing of things again.... to me the Edmund Fitzgerald, its not like other shipwrecks of great losss, they were 29 men just doing their jobs, the vessel, it wasnt an ocean liner, it was what it was, a working ship, she wasnt pretty, she wasnt fast, she was a great lakes bulk ore carrier, and the mystery as to how she sank,...thats what lures me to this and other wrecks.... ...and yea i know it was october, but i thought a little back story on its tale would be appropriate first....i was thinking on november 10, at 7 pm, i would set up a thread where if people wanted they could leave there respects.....
